Director crosses custody threshold after death on building site

On 2 December at Stafford Crown Court Lee Cottrill, a company director, was sentenced to 3 months imprisonment suspended for 12 months for health and safety offences. Mr Cottrill was for 20 years a company director of Albion and Tower Scaffolding and had admitted that whilst a director of Albion he has consented or connived in the construction of an unsafe system of scaffolding built around a warehouse outside Burton on Trent. Tim Green was instructed by the HSE to prosecute the case.

Three other defendants also pleaded guilty. The Judge found that in respect of each defendant their breach of health and safety law was a significant cause of death. The total fines and costs imposed exceeded £150,000.

News 3 Dec, 2014